Carrier for overhead conveyer systems



June 20, 1944. w. cs. WEHR CARRIER FOR OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed-March 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN'TOR WILLIAM G. Wane M WM 3 M CARRIER FOR OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed March 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. BY W/zunM 6. WEHR Arne/vs);

Patented June 20, 1944 CARRIER FOR OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEMS William G. Wehr, Wickliffe, Ohio, assignor. to 1 The Cleveland Crane & Engineering Company, Wickliflfe, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 11, 1943, Serial No. 478,756

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to material handling overhead tramrail systems and more particularly to an overhead movable crane or carrier, including a cable-suspended load-carrying member. In some aspects, the invention may be considered as an improvement on the device disclosed in a copending application of Arthur L. Medenwald, Serial No. 402,888.

The aforesaid Medenwald application discloses a frame or platform, commonly called a load member, adapted to have. a load placed thereon or aflixed thereto, suspended. from an overhead movable support by means of three pairs of cables. The respective cables of each pair are operatively connected to the overhead movable support at spaced points and to the load member at substantially the same point. The general shape of the load member shown is that of an elongated rectangle and one pair of cables is connected thereto at or adjacent to the center of one end thereof while the other two pairs of cables are connected thereto adjacent to the opposite corners of the other end. The suspension cables are attached to hoist. mechanism, which makes it desirable to have the suspended load member as light as possible consistent with other requirements.

1 When a load, such as persons on a platform, or an airplane being moved along an assembly line andattached thereto as by fixtures or the like connect-ed to the respective corners of the load member, is carried by an elongated rectangularly-shaped load member suspended from an overhead movable support in the manner shown in the aforesaid application, any shifting of the load, particularly at the end where the single pair of cables is attached to'the load member; produces torsional strains in the load memher which may cause movement thereof and, in turn, movement of the load. Any material or appreciable twisting of the'load member with a resulting movement of the load defeats the purpose of the suspension referred to.

With the foregoing in mind, the principal object-of the present invention is the provision of a novel material or load handling device of the character referred to comprising an extremely light rigid load member.

parts, and further objects and advantages there- .of will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a material handling overhead tramrail system embodying the present invention; and a Fig. 2 is a plan View approximately on the line.2--2 of Fig. l. i

The invention is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a material handling overhead tramrail system of a type manufactured by The Cleveland Crane and Engineering Company Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. l, the reference character A designates generally an overhead movable crane or carrier comprising a movable elongated rectangular frame or support In and a load member in the form of an elongated rectangular frame H suspended from the overhead movable support ill by three pairs of cables l2, 13; I4, I5; I6, ll, arranged as tackles. The frame Ill is supported by and movable along a runway comprising parallel inverted T-shaped rails 28, 2| welded to the lower ends of T-shaped beams 22 and 23, respectively. The beams 22 and 23 are suspended from1an overhead structure (not shown) in any convenient manner. The frame I0 is suspended from the rails 20 and 2| by four trucks, one of which is located adjacent to each corner of the frame. The trucks .are identical inconstruction and comprise pairs of Wheels 24in engagement with opposite. flanges of the inverted T-shaped rails and rotatably supported in the upper ends of U-shaped yoke members 25, which in turn are pivotally connected .for rotation about both horizontal and vertical axes to membersZB welded to the frame In adjacent to the corners thereof.

One;end of each of the cables l2 to I! inclusive points of the frame I!) from which points the ported in axial alignment in a bracket member 33 welded to the right-hand end of the frame I I at or adjacent to the center line thereof. From the sheaves 3| and 32 the cables extend upwardly in a direction parallel to the first reachesrthereof and, after passing over the sheaves 3 3 and around guide sheaves 35, are connected to the". cable drum of the hoist mechanism.

The pairs of cables I4, I and I6, II are located at the Opposite end of the carrier'or crane and are arranged in such a manner that the planes of, the respective pairs are angularly disposed with respect to each other; in this instance at approximately a right'angle, and, intersect each other on the centerlines of the frames I3 and II extended. The cable I5 is connectedl to the frame If), at. or adjacent-to the center line thereof while the. cable I4 is connected to, the near side of the frame; as viewed in Fig. 1, an appreciable distance back from the left-hand end. From their connections. with the; frame III, the cable I4 and I5 extend downwardly in: inclined directions and pass around; sheaves 31' and. 38, respectively. Erom the sheaves 3:1 and 33 the cables, return to the frame III" in a direction parallel to thefirst reachesthereof, and after passing about suitable guide sheaves including the sheaves 39, 43, they are connected to the'drum3il' of the hoist mechanism. The sheaves 31 and 38 arerotatably supportedkin axial alignment with each other on a shaft-M extending through plates 32, 43 and 44 welded to the'frame II and ex'tending angularly across the near left-hand corner thereof. The

cables I6 and I! are connected to the left-hand far corners of the frames IEI and II in a manner similar to that in which the-cables I5 and I3 are connected to the left-hand near corners of the same members and the construction will not be described in detail? Sufiice it to say that the corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters With prime marks affixed thereto. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the tackles formed by the respective "pairs of cablesare angularly disposed withrespect to each otherand that the pairs'of tackles liein intersectinggenerally vertical planes. In t-he'embo'diment shown, the ends of the cables other than those connected tothe drum of the hoist mechanism 30-, are connected to the frame III through themedium of link members 55 pivotally connected to the frame proper, but any other suitable construction can be employed. It is also-to be understood that While the cables are arranged to constitute a single tackle, any tackle arrangement other than that shown may be employed. Alternatively, the ends of the cables connected to the frame I'D- canbe connected to the frame II: at or adjacent to the points where the sheaves about which theyextend are located. The tackles or cables not only serve assuspend- =ing means butalso constitute guy wires for preventing lateral movement, swinging, etc., of the frame I I. with reference to the-frame Id;

Referring to the drawings it will be noted that both corners of the frame II at the left-hand end thereof are directly supported by cables while the corners at the right-hand end of the frame II are not directly supported since the sheaves III and 32 are connected to the frame at or adjacent to the center line thereof. In View of the fact that the corners at the right-hand end of the frame I I are not directly supported, the frame will tend to twist and lose its stability when loaded adjacent to the corners or when a load adjacent to the corners is shifted. For example, if the device is employed to move an airplane B along an assembly line. with the airplane suspended therefrom. by fixtures 36 connected to the frame II adjacent to the corners thereof, variation in the load, particularly adjacent to the right-hand corners, as viewed in Fig. 1, will tend to twist the frame and in turn cause a movement of the airplane. A shifting load of the character referred to might. result from workmen. climbing about: the outer ends of the; wings of the airplane, etc.. The advantage of. the cable suspension shown is the. fact that: it is: capable; of suspending' the. frame. I l,.or the. load, free from sway, etc. while permitting it to be moved vertically by hoist mechanism, and' any twisting of the frame II defeats the purpose thereof; However there is a limit beyond which the weight of the frame or load member. cannotbe increased in an effort toattain stability or rigidity thereof, since the load member constitutes a dead weight on the hoist mechanism and to this extent-reduces the weight of the material that can be handled thereby with any given hoist mechanism.

According to the provisions of the present invention' theloadmember is made as light as possible consistent with' other requirements. In the embodiment shown this is accomplished by making the frame I I out of comparatively'light structural'steel members, in the present instance, longitudinally and transversely extending channel members ifi toiliarranged as shown in the drawings' and welded or otherwise secured together in asuitable manner; The channel members'are comparatively light in weight and twistingof the frame formed thereby is prevented by a longitudinally extending torsion resisting member connected to opposite ends of the frame at or adjacent to the center. line thereof As. shown, the torsion resisting. member comprises'the tube 5| the right-hand, or. lower end of which is-welded to, a. u shaped. bracket 52', which bracket is in turn-welded toone'sideof thebracket 33 which in turn is welded to thecross. channels 43 and 50. The other: end. of. thetube: 51- is welded to abracket 53 which. in't'urn is. welded to' the center'of the cross channel 48; The result of the present construction isravery light-but extremely rigid load member for: a carrier'or crane comprising the cable arrangement disclosed.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention: it will'be apparent that theobjects: heretofore. enumerated and; others have: been accomplished and:that, a new and improvedioverheadj movable crane or carrier including a lightweightzri'gidiloactmem ber suspended; by; a; cable. arrangement: similar to.-that1in the; aforementionedMedenwaldi applicationzhas been: provided While the: preferred embodiment: has been: shown and" described in considerable detail; it i's-merely illustrative of the invention and is not to be considered as limiting the invention as" various modifications and a1 ternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Having thus described my invention, I claim, 1. In apparatus of the character referred to, a movable overhead member, a load member,

means comprising three pairs of cables for suspending said load member from said movable the points at which the other pairs of cables are connected thereto, whereby the respective cables of each pair are angularly disposed to each other and the respective pairs of cables lie in nonparallel generally vertical planes, a torsion resist ing member connected to said load member adjacent to the place where two of said cables are. connected thereto and intermediate the places where the other cables are connected thereto, and means for letting out and taking up said cables.

2. In apparatus of the character referred to, a movable overhead support, a load member comprising an elongated frame, means comprising three pairs of cables for suspending said load member from said overhead support, means for operatively connecting the respective cables of each pair to said overhead support at spaced points, means for operatively connecting the respective cables of one pair to said load member adjacent to the center of one end of said frame and the respective cables of the other pairs of cables to said load member adjacent to opposite corners of the other end of said frame, whereby the respective cables of each pair are angularly.

disposed to each other and the respective pairs of cables lie in non-parallel generally vertical planes, a torsion resisting member connected to opposite ends of said frame adjacent to the centers thereof, and means for letting out and taking up said cables.

3. In apparatus of the character referred to, a movable overhead support, a load member comprising an elongated frame, means comprising three pairs of cables for suspending said load member from said overhead support, means for operatively, connecting the respective cables of each pair to said overhead support at spaced points, means for operatively connecting the respective cables of one pair to said load member adjacent to the center of one end of said frame and the respective cables of the other pairs of cables to said load member adjacent to opposite corners of the other end of said frame, whereby the respective cables of each pair are angularly disposed to each other and the respective pairs of cables lie in non-parallel generally vertical planes, a torsion resisting member in the form of a tube connected to opposite ends of said frame adjacent to the centers thereof, and means for letting out and taking up said cables.

4. In apparatus of the character referred to, an elongated movable overhead support, a load member comprising an elongated frame, means comprising three pairs of cables for suspending said load member from said overhead support, means for operatively connecting the respective cables of each pair to said overhead support at spaced points, means for operatively connecting the respective cables of one pair to said load member adjacent to the center of one end of said frame and the respective cables of the other pairs of cables to said load member adjacent to opposite corners of the otherend of said frame,

'whereby the respective cables of each pair are angularly disposed to each other and the respective pairs of cables lie in non-parallel generally vertical planes, a torsion resisting member in the form of a tube connected to opposite ends of said frame adjacent to the centers thereof, and means for letting out and taking up said cables.

WILLIAM G. WEI-IR. 

